Well, it took five villages and 2 1/2 years to carve and construct the altar in the newly opened Jeffrey Allen Gallery. More than 150 Vietnamese villagers worked on an array of interlocking pieces that Allen and Peter Luong purchased in advance of their move from Dartmouth Street to Main Street in Tigard.

"We helped these communities to give them a sense of pride, a sense of ownership," Allen said. "They thought this was going to end up somewhere in Vietnam. They were surprised it was coming to America."

Part of the reason the Luongs commissioned the altar's construction, Allen said, was to preserve Vietnamese craftsmanship that was banned from practice for nearly 30 years.

Once known as Jeffrey Allen Home and Garden, the gallery opened its new digs at 12460 Main St. in Tigard on Thursday morning. The crowd outside was at least a dozen strong as Allen and Peter Luong prepared to cut the ribbon with Mayor John Cook.

The opening marks the latest in downtown Tigard revitalization efforts. Mayor John Cook said during the ribbon cutting that the Tigard Liquor Store's storefront facelift across the street was one of the first projects to help spur an aesthetic change downtown.

Sculptures, furniture and art from ancient southeast Asian cultures and modern pieces stand side-by-side in some parts of the gallery. An 1,100-year old statue sits near the entrance while three 600-year old maiden statues are perched on a ledge facing the north windows.

"This guy's just a baby," Allen Luong said, pointing to another sculpture sitting on a table nearby. "He's only about 400 years old."

And next to that was a piece made in the last few years to replicate classic Vietnamese sculpting styles. The aim of their business, the Luongs say, is to provide customers with a sense of tranquility in their homes.

Much of the art and furniture on display is bought from private collectors. Import bans make it difficult to obtain pieces, Allen said.

The Luongs learn much about the history of the art works and furniture they purchase. From which temples the pieces came from to the time period they inhabited, Allen can tell you a little about the life of nearly everything in the store.

But there are some details that he says he'd be hard-pressed to present. Just try and ask what kind of wood some of the sculptures are made of.

"You'd need to be a beaver to know what it is. After you chew on it, you might be able to tell me," he said with a laugh.

The gallery's centerpiece is another story. Allen emphasized that the altar was constructed one piece at a time by people working independently.

"How can you not believe in something divine after you look at it?" he said, gesturing to part of the display. "Three people in three different villages working separately made this and it all fits together. All we told them is how big the room is."

Allen said that the altar represents unity. The lettering above the altar's opening into the gallery reads "Mother of all" in Vietnamese. Allen says it's symbolic of his belief of the family unit. That unity is also what Tigard leaders say is crucial to the success of the downtown area.

"This is what we represent and we want to be part of that change," Allen said.